Locations and Developments

Spain: TARRAGONA, Catalonia

Tarragona is a port city in northeastern Spain’s Catalonia region. Many ancient ruins remain from its time as Tarraco, under the Romans. The Amfiteatre Romà is a 2nd-century arena facing the Mediterranean, and traces of the forum stand among the alleys of the walled, medieval Old Town. A walkway along the ramparts, the Passeig Arqueològic, has sweeping views of the city.

Spain: VINAROS - Castellon

The first historical record of Vinaròs is in 1233, when the Moorish hamlet of Binarlaros-Ibn Arus in eastern al-Andaluz was captured by King James I of Aragon. It was under rule of the Knights templar order between 1294 and 1311, and of the order of Montesa during the 14th century.

The town grew during the 16th and 17th centuries, when fortifications and navy yards were built, and attained great prosperity during the following two centuries, due to its involvement in ship building and Valencian wine trade. The town suffered a strong decline in the early 20th century as a consequence of the spread of phylloxera in the regions vineyards, which devastated wine production.

Today, the prosperity of Vinaròs is bound to tourism and fishing, it is renowned for its tasty prawns. Vinaròs is part of the Taula del Sénia free association of municipalities.

Spain: ALMERIA (Costa Almeria)

The province of Almería offers pleasures which are hard to come by in the Mediterranean: over 100 Km. of untamed coastline, and landscapes of outstanding beauty.

The peculiarities of the landscape and the bountiful Almerían climate have made this province the perfect place to locate a substantial film industry, and the region has played host to some of the most famous stars of the screen.

Its untouched beaches in the east with their emerging nudist complexes and the larger tourist centres in the west offer a quality destination for the more demanding traveller. Its exceptional coastline borders the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Nature Reserve, with long sandy beaches and secluded coves bathed by the warm waters of the Mediterranean. The traditional festivities of the Moors and the Christians will transform your trip to Almería into a wonderful adventure.Location

In the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, on the shores of the Mediterranean.

It has a coastline with 200 Km. of beaches, stretching from Pulpí in the east to Adra in the west. It descends from the Sierra de Gádor mountains until it joins the Mediterranean sea in some exceptionally beautiful beaches.

Spain: CADIZ (Costa del Luz)

Cadiz stands on a peninsula jutting out into a bay, and is almost entirely surrounded by water. Named Gadir by the Phoencians, who founded their trading post in 1100 BC, it was later controlled by the Carthaginians, until it became a thriving Roman port. It sank into oblivion under the Visigoths and Moors, but attained great splendour in the early 16th century as a launching point for the journey to the newly discovered lands of America. Cadiz was later raided by Sir Francis Drake, in the struggle to gain control of trade with the New World, and managed to withstand a siege by Napoleon's army. In the early 19th century Cadiz became the bastion of Spain's anti-monarchist, liberal movement, as a result of which the country's first Constitution was declared here in 1812.

Portugal: ALGARVE (Portugal)

The Algarve is the southern most region of mainland Portugal and is made up of 16 municipalities. It enjoys a Mediterranean-style micro-climate with very warm Summers and mild Winters.

Along its 200 km coastline, beaches vary from small sheltered coves to broad endless stretches of sea washed sand. As you travel from east to west, the beaches tend to become more subject to seasonal currents.

Spain: MALAGA (Costa del Sol)

The Province of Malaga is located on the southern Mediterranean coast of Spain in Andalusia. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the South and by the Provinces of Cadiz, Granada, Cordoba and Seville.

It has over 160 km of coastline with a total of 14 districts located directly on the Mediterranean Sea. The beaches in both the eastern and western part of the Province are so attractive that they have made the Costa del Sol one of the top international destinations.

Spain: ALICANTE (Costa Blanca)

Alicante or Alacant is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian Community. It is bordered by the provinces of Murcia, Albacete, Valencia and the Mediterranean Sea to the East. The province is named after its capital, the city of Alicante.

It has a typical Mediterranean landscape with beaches interspersed with mountainous terrain. The Province hosts many festivals including the Bonfires of San Juan, the Moors and Christians and the Palm Sunday Procession.

France: SAINT-JEAN D'ANGELY

Ternant is a commune in the south-east of the Nièvre whose territory has a common border with the Saône-et-Loire . The commune is located between the mountains of the Morvan and the valley of the Loire . The climate is temperate, of oceanic influence.

HydrographyThe river that crosses the town is the Cressonne . It flows into the Loire river 17 km further downstream, at Saint-Hilaire-Fontaine .

GeologyTernant has the characteristic of being a limestone zone (mostly dating from the Sinemurian ) and marly ( marls of the Triassic ) between sandy areas of the river (west) side and eruptive origin on the side of the Morvan massif (east). The land is very fertile . The limestone of Ternant is still used today for the manufacture of lime .

Cyprus: PAPHOS

Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean and the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean. It is located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel, north of Egypt, and southeast of Greece.

Spain: AYAMONTE (Costa de la Luz)

Ayamonte (Spanish pronunciation: [aʝaˈmonte]) is a town and municipality located in the province of Huelva, (Spain) near the Guadiana River. According to the 2015 census, the city had a population of 20,357 inhabitants.

Location and history

The township of Ayamonte preserves its old medieval quarter in the central district of the town, with many very narrow streets and historical buildings; this central area is a designated car-free zone.

For centuries the ferry link between Ayamonte and Vila Real de Santo António was the traditional crossing point between Spain and Portugal. A modern bridge over the Guadiana River has now been built to the north of the town, linking the motorway systems of the two countries, but the ferry still runs and provides an inexpensive mode of transport between the two countries.

The beach area of Ayamonte is Isla Canela and is reached by a causeway across the Marismas del Guadiana; the marismas (salt marshes) are an important wildlife reserve, providing a home to many waterfowl, including herons and flamingos. Isla Canela is built along several kilometers of sandy beaches, and provides an ideal area for windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing. There are a number of quality golf courses in and around the area, including one built into the Marismas itself.

The city, is also famous for his local festivities, the "Fiestas de las Angústias" in honor of their patron "Nuestra Señora de las Angústias". The festivities in the beginning of September are a moment of celebration not only from the Ayamontin population, but also for many Andalucians, and Portuguese. The festivities are graced by the local band, "Banda Ciudad de Ayamonte" and the Portuguese "Banda da Sociedade Filarmónica Progresso e Labor Samouquense" from the Portuguese village of Samouco.

The Costa Esuri development is just to the north of Ayamonte. It was an ambitious development built by the Galicia-based developer Martinsa-Fadesa that stalled as a result of the global financial crisis of 2007–08. Many properties were left unfinished, but because of the steep reduction in price, the development is starting to have the success that was always expected. The development features two golf courses, though only the west course is open. A hotel that was planned remains unfinished.

Cyprus: LARNACA

Larnaca (Greek: Λάρνακα [ˈlarnaka]; Turkish: Larnaka or İskele) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and the capital of the eponymous district. It is the third-largest city in the country, after Nicosia and Limassol, with a metro population of 144,200 in 2015.[2]

Larnaca is known for its palm-tree seafront, the Church of Saint Lazarus, Hala Sultan Tekke, Kamares Aqueduct, and Larnaca Castle. It is built on the ruins of ancient Citium, which was the birthplace of Stoic philosopher Zeno. Larnaca is home to the country's primary airport, Larnaca International Airport. It also has a seaport and a marina.

Spain: MURCIA (Costa Calida)

Murcia is characterized by its old history of commerce and agriculture. Already its original inhabitants, Iberian tribes, established commercial relations with Phoenicians and Greeks. Later on it became first a Carthaginean colony, then a Roman colony. (Carthago Nova, today's Cartagena still reminds of that fact). The Moors established effective and modern agricultural production, which still today is an important economic factor, thanks to their advanced technologies.

Of major touristical interest is of course the Mediterranean coast, Costa Calida ("the warm coast"), with beaches of fine sand. The salt-water lagoon Mar Menor and La Manga del Mar Menor offer great possibilities for water sports. The inland is almost desertic, and you may visit several towns which still preserve their medieval structures.

Typical cooking includes stews, salads, roasted meat, rice, and of course great sea-food along the coast. Murcia also produces wine of high quality.

Major attractions:

MurciaThe capital of the region, located inland at the banks of the river Segura. Major attractions include the Baroque cathedral and the spectacular "Real Casino".

CartagenaThe above mentioned Carthaginean Cartago Nova is of great historical importance, with numerous monuments from ancient times until today. It also has the region's most important port.

MazarronDue to its protected location in the Gulf of Mazarron, water temperatures are about higher 5°C higher than in the surrounding Mediterranean and its pleasant micro-climate makes it an ideal holiday destination.

La Manga del Mar Menor"La Manga" is a sandy promontory with great beaches, located inbetween the Mediterranean sea and the largest salt-water lagoon of Europe, the "Mar Menor".